Comments on: Invitation: First Filipino Au Pair Conference

By: Natasja Dybmose

Natasja Dybmose — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:30:38 +0000

In October we told the story about Isabel Lagang – a girl who work for a rich family on Sjælland – but who were treated very badly. We are interested in finding more stories on au pairs from The Philippines working for families on Sjælland. Especially girls who work for one of the big manors (godser) – just like Isabel Lagang did. If you contact us – we can promise that you have full anonymity. We are very interested in all kinds of stories – so please write or phone journalist Natasja Dybmose: +45 20 20 41 96, email nady@tv2east.dk.

By: analind

analind — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:57:28 +0000

We are really sorry to hear you sad story we will contact you. We cannot understand your host how they can treat you that way if they are Danish they should not belong in this century where slavery is not legal but of course its still exist but on another form but we applaud you to finally have the courage to speak up.
We think they are not kind but this is their way to treat you like a slave and you will not think to complain because maybe you are their first Filipina aupair and they know Filipinos don’t complain they just suffer in silence.
On the other hand have you talk to them that you are overworked and not happy about your arrangement. But if they will not change you then you still can change host but you should infrm the Immigration Service so if they did something wrong they should be liable for that offenses and should be quarantine not to get any more aupair or pay a fine.
Thanks again and always takes care of yourself

By: mae

mae — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:23:08 +0000

hi i need help and talk to someone regarding my problem in my 1st host family then this 2nd host famly right now is not also nice they treat me as a housemaid they dont do anything to help me in household chores and i shoulder every chores inside the house they are very lazy all they do when they came in the house is mess up a lot and scatter evrything and the house is very messy especially saturday sunday they dont fix anything even plates,glass,food in the table and everything then they wait me to work again on sunday to fix they dnt follow the rules written in aupair aggreement and 5 hrs is not enough to clean all the mess they done they came only to sleep and eat they dnt even throw their garbage in garbage bin can so i am working over 30 hrs and they did something which i make this first confidential but i have strong evidence and was recorded in my phone and if i shout out this the Filipinos will rise ..at this time ´they are nice to me but i dnt want this to happen to anyone and i dnt want also trouble so i prefer to forgive and keep quiet instead but i can share this experience but the lesson i learn is if we know we are right then fight for it don’t be afraid as long as we are right we are the same human and equal we must not treated like slave we need them to respect us by saying our inside and learn to fight not to keep quiet and say yes yes we need to talk and remind the host and bring and show to them to read again the contract .. coz we go here in Denmark by gaining the cultural exchange and to gain good memories and good impression about their country and human traits not to go back in our land with full of regret and sadness and bad experience so i hope host family who have an aupair will treat them as one part of their family and show respect not to descriminate the filipinos ..pls gave me a call and i want to set an appointment to meet and talk personally if anyone can got interest i will share my stories regarding my experience then when i was feed up i learn to speak up and debate the name aupair but still they dont realize how my work inside the house is not a joke. its a hardship thing and honesty was my first vitues being a pure filipina i am proudly say that filipinos dnt only come here to gain money but to gain and study their culture and attitude but i find out that some danish is only polite and being nice because they want filipinas to work hard and dnt complain and say anything but helping to broaden our ideas and knowledge is not their concern i dnt believe that their vision getting an aupair is to help by means of cultural exchange but they use this as a foreign domestic helper. my number is xxxxxxxx..thanks

By: analind

analind — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:35:08 +0000

@Lyn,
There are lot of advantages of the aupair system because you will able to experience another culture besides ours which the concept of the aupair system. But it is used in a different form what is it was meant to be that why the Philippine’s Goverment imposed the ban to protect it’s citizen from unscrupulous agents/agencies in the 90’s cause it was being used to lure women to become an aupair but in reality they unwillingly forced to worked as prostitutes.
But your friend’s problem about securing POEA or CFO is kind of confusing because there is still ban on aupair so she should not leave the country as aupair but she should ask her agency about it or I guess she don’t have the so called “escort” in the airport that’s why they ask a lot things. Even if she go POEA I guess they can’t help her because of the ban. Like I said she has to ask her agent cause I believe that it is their responsiblity and they know about the ban especially if she paid that agent/agency.
Good luck

By: lynn

lynn — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:23:43 +0000

hi.. i’m very interested to be an au pair but there are some articles that i read about it like philippines don’t allow au pairs to go abroad, banned or something.. i also have this friend who’s papers for NL was already approved but when she entered the immigration officers at the airport, she was put on hold because they said that she needs to have CFO and POEA.. it confuses me a bit coz CFO and POEA can’t issue au pair clearance right?? coz it’s banned.. what should my friend do??